The Cost of a Masters – How Much is a Masters Degree in the UK?

A Masters in the UK costs an average of £8,740 for local students and a whopping £17,109 for international ones. It swings from £4,000 to £22,000, depending on your course and where you're from.

Here, I will give you the lowdown on what it really costs to snag a Masters degree in the UK. This includes all the typical fee details for the various types of Masters degrees. Plus, the scoop on all those extra expenses you need to think about as a postgraduate student. By getting a clear picture of the tuition fees upfront, you'll be in a much better position to hunt for funding and manage your budget throughout your course. Let’s navigate this together!

On average, the cost of a Masters degree in the UK for home students is around £8,740, while international students typically face fees of about £17,109. However, these figures can range anywhere from £4,000 to £22,000, depending on your specific situation.

To give you a clearer picture, here's how different types of courses compare:

As you can see, fees vary for different types of degrees, broadly reflecting how expensive they are to run (a Masters in English or History doesn't require the same facilities and consumable resources as one in Chemistry or Engineering).

Generally speaking, a classroom-based, taught programme like an MA will be the cheapest Masters degree on offer.

You'll also notice that average cost for international students in the UK is £17,109 (nearly twice as much as the tuition fees for a domestic student).

One final thing to bear in mind is that, because they aren't capped, UK postgraduate fees tend to rise slightly with inflation each year. That actually means that your fees can sometimes go up a little in the second year of a two-year Masters (though most full-time UK Masters degrees are one-year long).

Fees for other postgraduate courses

Not all Masters-level courses award a full Masters degree. Shorter courses leading to a Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) or Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) are often cheaper.

You can generally expect fees for a Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) to be around a third to a half of those for an equivalent Masters. Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) courses will be more expensive, but still cheaper than a full Masters.

How much is a Masters in the UK for EU students

Following Brexit, the majority of EU citizens will now count as international students and pay higher fees for a UK Masters. There are some exceptions for students from Ireland and for EU nationals who were already settled or settling in the UK prior to 30 June 2021. Our guide to UK Masters funding for EU students has more detail and will help you find out if you’re classified as an international student.

Masters funding in the UK

Costs of a Masters degree may vary, but most students are eligible for a wide variety of funding opportunities.

These range from the UK government's postgraduate loans loans to charitable grants and bursaries. You can find out more about financial support and funding options in our guides to UK Masters funding.

Tuition fees aren’t the only thing you’ll need to take into account when calculating how much a Masters degree will cost. Living costs should be an important consideration – accommodation, food and entertainment will likely eat up a large chunk of your finances for the duration of your course.

Our guide to postgraduate living costs in the UK will give you an idea of what expenses you may encounter during your Masters, calculating average monthly budgets across a range of UK university towns and cities.

Tuition fees and living costs will account for most of the cost of your Masters. But you may also need to budget for other postgraduate degree expenses.

We’ve picked a few to be aware of, below.

Health insurance

• You won’t normally need extra health insurance if you are from the UK. Instead you’ll be covered by any existing public or private healthcare.
• Health insurance will be required for international students unless a reciprocal health agreement exists with your home country.

Visa fees

• You’ll only need to pay visa fees if you’re studying abroad. However some groups of countries (such as the European Union) don’t require student visas for their members’ citizens.

Application fees

• Some universities charge a small amount to process Masters applications.
• This won’t always be the case. In the UK, there is no centralised system for postgraduate admissions and most universities don’t charge application fees for Masters degrees.

Admissions tests

• Some courses require students to complete graduate admissions tests in order to gain a place on their Masters programmes.
• These are separate to standard admissions fees.

Language tests

• If you’re studying in the UK in a second language, you may need to submit a score from a recognised language test.

Travel

• Travel costs are easy to overlook, but they can add up quickly. Unless you’re living in university accommodation you’ll need a way of getting to and from your postgraduate classes.

Tips from the author

Tackling the costs of studying for a Masters degree in the UK can seem daunting at first, but, with a bit of clever planning and hunting for the right funding opportunities for you, it's totally manageable.

First off, creating a realistic budget is key. It's not just about the tuition fees; remember to factor in living costs, textbooks, and those little extras. I recommend diving into the world of scholarships, grants, and bursaries, there's a surprising amount out there if you look in the right places, and every little bit helps.

Don't forget to check if you're eligible for a postgraduate loan too; it was a game-changer for me. And, here's a little tip from my personal experience: staying on top of discounts and exploring part-time work options can really ease the financial pressure. Entering the Masters journey well-informed and prepared made all the difference for me, turning what initially felt overwhelming into an exciting step forward in my career.

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